Box-filling machine



Dec. 26, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FILED FEB. 27, 1922.

Patented Deeu 26, 1922. l

UNITED f STAT Esy Lease f OFFICE e MICHAEL lreiainoiv, or BARBEETON, OHIO; Assrcfnoa To lTHE, ylniuegivnivn MATCH COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, n CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

l :BoX-rII-,LNG MACHINE. 1

Application Lfiled February 27, v1922. Serial No.y 539,559. w

T0 aZZw-tom z'may concern.' l

Be it known that I, MICHAEL PARIDON, a

citizen of the United States, and residentof Barberton, in the county-fof Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certainy new and useful Improvements inl Box-Filling Machines, of which the following is a speciication. D This invention relates to box-filling machines, having reference, more particularly, to machines employing a trough-like hopper ,for supplying matches, or othersplint-form articles, to progressing trays on the upper run of a tray-and-shuck conveyer, such, for example, as disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,300,762, dated April 15, 1919, and-No. 1,360,438, dated November 3o, i920. f Inthe machine of:y the first-named patent the box trays are singly supplied with matches, and yin the machine of the 'later patent plural trays aregsimultaneously sup-y plied with measured quantities of matches from the hoppen f l The present invention concerns simple and eflicient means for accurately and rapidly transferring the matches in .measured quantities from the hopper to the box trays, such means being especially, ythough not l exclusively, designed for use in connectionwith a machine of the referred to. fy According to my invention, in its preferred form, I provide a feed wheel mounted to rotate ou an axis above the deliveryportion of ,the hopper, Said wheel yhaving radiallyprojecting teeth which are 4constructed and arranged to enter the hopper and its contents plural traysupply type above `and-transfer measured quantities of matches 40.

successively to underlyingbox trays `which are moved in synchronism with the'k feed wheel. v The invention also comprises various novel features of construction and combinations of parts-which will 'be hereinafter Vdescribed and claimed. f

In the drawingsfr Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a box filling machine embodying the preferred form of myinvention.

Fig. 2' isa plan of "the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. f

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the delivery portion yof the hopper,

and adjuncts, including a portionJOfy the rotary feed wheel and the tray carrier.

Referringto the drawings,10 designates anfelongated trough-like hopper into which the matches are delivered from a suitable source of supply, such, for example, as a KVmatch-making machine, soy as to lie inapproximate parallelism within and transversely of the hopper. This hopper, in the form illustrated, comprises an inclined bottom 11 vhaving parallel sides 12'which are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the length of a match. r1`he sides of the hopper are horizontally extended at its lower end, as at 13, and these extensions, together with the adjacent part of the bottom ofthe hopper, overhang a horizontal bed or table 14: upon whichthe upper `iun of the .endless conveyer l5 containing al succession of box hopper is provided with a suitably-disposed slide 17 which yis mounted on a guide standard18 on the table to permit longitudinal disposed'depending lugs 19 which embrace ytrays 16 issupported and guided. The'y an eccentric .'20 carried byy a shaft 21 driven in ,anyy suitable manner `to effect. the rapidv bodily vibration of the hopper.

, A resilient strip' 22 is arranged within the lowerv portion ofy thehopper soY as to overhang the latter4 andv provide therein a taper- :ingor contracted throat into and through which pass the match contents of the hopper. The'strip is secured atits `upper end yto the sidesl of the hopper, as at 23, andinclines'` `downwardly toward lthe delivery Iend .of theIk hopper. lThe lowerj portionk of the vstrip isspaced above such delivery Vend a .distance approximately `equalto the depth ofv abox tray, and is yextended thence horizontally, as at 24,-preferably a distance suiiicient to overhang two underlying box trays supported in'the conveyerfl. kTihetlower portion vof r`the overhanging strip and its horizontal extension are longitudinally slotted, asat 25. I

The conveyer is intermittentlyactuated to positionsuccessive pairs of box trays directlyjunder the extension 24C of the strip 22.' `In'the present instance a conveyer of .thechaincter'` illustrated jin Patent No.-

gif.

1,360,438 aforesaid, is employed, said conveyer being constructed tosupport box trays and shucks in such endwise relation to each other that the filled trays can be inserted into `their complementary. shucks and` covers during the'progress of the conveyer. The conveyer passesl about sprocket Wheels ar# ranged at or adjacent the respectiveends of the table, one of which Wheels is shown at 26, Fig. l. The Wheel is-mounted on a transverse shaft 2T having its bearings in brackets 28 beneath the table. KThis shaft bears a pin Wheel Q9 xviththe successive pins of which engages a Worin cani Sil on a driven shaft 3l extending longitudinally of the inachine. The contour of the Worm cani 80 is such lthat in each rotation thereof the pin Wheel .is actuated to effect the intermittent advancement of the conveyer and position a pairof box trays beneath the horizontal eX- 'tension of the guard structure 22. ris a simple and efficient means to transfer measured quantities of matches directly from the hopper into the successive pairs of trays as the latteradvance to and beyond the ldelivery end of the hopper bottom, I mount in suitable bearings82 above they latter, the shaft 33 of a rotary feed Wheel 33 having radially projecting'teethe which,

vin a part of their travel, progress through the slot of the guard structure 24 and into and along the delivery portion of the hopper in the direction of movement of the conveyer and at the saine relative speed 'as the latter. 'The teethe are regularly spaced apart around the rim of the Wheel, each interdentil space being equal to the Width of a boxftray, or substantially so, and the depth of` the teeth being such that their outer ends "(Whi'oh are rounded as indicated) progress toward and in proximity to the bottom of the hopper. Hence the teeth pass successively thii'ough the slotted guard structure into the delivery portion'of the hopper, and therein divide the opposing mass of matches into measured quantities and impel them positively toward and above the months of the underlying` box tr s as the latter advancebeyond such delivery portion. .As the teeth escape the bottom ofthe hopper the extension, overlianging the matches between adjacent teeth, prevent upward displacement of such matches and insure their regular disposition for entry into each succeeding box tray in its advancement beyond-the end of the hopper bottom. f

The feed Wheel is intermittently rotated in such operative relation tothe carrier tha at the end of eacli combined impulse of the Wheel and carrier, one `of the'teeth of the Wheel is located at the extremity of the hopper and directly above the adjacent Wall of the proximate box tray, or substantially so,

such tooth tliiis serving as an eiiicient gate or barrier to prevent the discharge of the ifiseses und f matches from the hopper while the carrier is Aat rest. Since the hopper is being continuously vibrated longitudinally the matches are fed down to and well settled Within the throat .atthe delivery portion of the hopper preparatory tov eachl succeeding impulse of theivheel and carrier.

i rllhe.means herein illustrated for actuating the feed Wheel includes a pin Wheel 35 mountedon a transverse shaft 36 having its bearings in brackets 37 beneath the table, the successive teeth of the Wheel being` engagedrby a Worm cam 38 on the shaft 3l yivhich carries the` worm cani 30. Fast on the shaft' is a spur Wheel 89 which is gea-red -through a -pair of idlers Ll() with a spur Wheel-41 on the shaft 83 of tliefeed vWheel.

'The contour of the Worm y'cam 38 and the ratio ofthe gearing are siich thatin/eaoh Arotation ofthe cam the pin wheel is periodically actuated to effect the intermittent motion of the feed Wheel concurrentlywvith that of the carrier, as hereinbefore described.

vltl'is. to be understood'tliat'l do notI limit inyiiivention to the details ofy construction herein disclosed, as the mechanism may be inodiiiedwvithin the principle ofmy invention and the scopeofthe appended claims.

I claimi lfln a box filling Vmach-ine, an elongated hopper having vat its delivery end af throat portion comprising an voverhanging*slotted meniber,"n'ieans `whereby articles Aare fed along the hopper and into Athe said throat portion, a feed Wheel niountedto rotate on anaxis above the delivery end-of thehopperand hav-ing radially projecting -teeth which progressthrough the saidV slotted member into thehopper, vmeans for feeding vafsuccession of box trays to and Abeyond the fdeliveryend of' the hopper and in a plane belowthe latter, and means-for rotating the Wheel concurrently with the travel of the boxtra'ys.

2. Ina box `filling machine, an elongated hopperhaving atits delivery end a throatportion comprising an overhanging longitudinally slotted vmember vwhich extends hoiiizontal-ly'beyond l,the end of the hopper bottom, means whereby articles are-fed along the hopper and into the said throat portion, a fee'dwheel inountedito rotate on an axis above the delivery end of the hopper and vhavingradially projecting teeth-Which prolgress'through the slotted `member into the 'hopper,-means-for feeding `a succession of box trays to and beyond the deliveryend of the hopper and in a plane belofiiIv t-he'latter,

and 7 means 4 for 'rotating the wheel concur'- rently with the travel of the box trays.

3. In a box filling machine, an elongated hopper having `a ydelivery opening at one end of its bottom -portion, means whereby articles arevfed along the hopper to the delivery epening, a feed Wheel mounted to rotate on an axis above the delivery openn ing and having radially-projecting teeth which successively enter and progress through' the hopper, means fory intermittently advancing a succession of box trays to and beyond the delivery opening in a plane below the latter,` and means for inten mittently rotating the wheel concurrently with the travel of the trays, the said teeth being equally spaced and being so located that in each dwell of the wheel and trays one of the teeth closes the delivery opening of the hopper.

` 4. In a box filling machine, an elongated inclined hopper having in its lower portion a tapering delivery throat comprising an overhanging longitudinally slotted member which extends horizontally beyond the end of the hopper bottom7 means whereby the hopper is longitudinally vibrated, a feed wheel mounted to rotate on an axis above the delivery end of the hopper and havingl below the latter and the extension of Vthe slotted member,v and means for intermittently rotating the wheel concurrently with the travel of the trays.

5. ln a box filling machine, an elongated Shopper having a delivery throat portion comprising an overhanging longitudinally slotted member which extends horizontally beyond the end of the hopper bottom, means whereby articles are ed along the hopper and into the said throat portion, a traveling feed element having regularly-spaced apart projecting teeth,- whichy successively pass through the slotted member into the throat portion and therein divide the opposing articles into measured quantities and impel them toward the delivery end of the hopper bottom7 a carrier for advancing a succession of box trays to and beyond the delivery end of the hopper and in a plane below the latter and the extension of the slotted member, and means for operating the said wheel and carrier in synchronism.

Signed lat Barberton in the county of Summit and State of Chio this 20th day of February A. D. 1922.

MICHAEL PARIDON. 

